The shooting, electric pain of sciatica is enough to bring the strongest to their knees. Our first response is to go for strong muscle relaxants and pain relieving drugs, but you can get sciatic nerve pain relief using home remedies that really work. Before looking at the remedies, let’s examine what causes sciatic pain.
Sciatic nerve pain or sciatica is most commonly caused by the bulging or rupture of a spinal disk, which begins to press against the nerve roots of the sciatic nerve in the lower spine. That pressure on the nerve roots can also be caused by narrowing of the spinal canal, bone spurs, arthritis or some other root compression caused by an injury.
You can use any one or a combination of our 15 home remedies for sciatic nerve pain relief, but they are not all inclusive. In severe cases, you might need to consult your health care provider.
Yoga serves two purposes in sciatic nerve pain relief. The stretching and lengthening of the spine helps relieve the pain and a regular practice of yoga can help you avoid it.
What to do:
How it works:
Lengthening of the spine through stretching helps reduce the pain, inflammation and stiffness. Strengthening your core also helps you develop good posture and avoid further issues.
Sitting for long periods of time tends to make sciatic nerve pain worse. Breaking up your work or home routine with exercise can help greatly.
What to do:
How it works:
Sitting tends to cause greater compression on the affected area, sciatic nerve pain relief comes from moving around.
Many people get a great deal of sciatic nerve pain relief from the use of a heating pad.
What to do:
How it works:
Heat loosens up tight muscles and promotes better circulation, which provides symptomatic relief.
Practicing good posture rather than slumping can help relieve sciatic nerve pain as well.
What to do:
How it works:
Better posture tends to decrease the pressure on the lower back and decompresses the pressure on the sciatic nerve root.
Swimming is one of the best methods of sciatic nerve pain relief.
What to do:
How it works:
Decompression of your spine is essential to relieving pain. By using a swimming pool, it helps make it easier because water adds an element of weightless support.
You should always lift heavy or light objects safely, but especially when you suffer from sciatic nerve pain.
What to do:
How it works:
Proper spinal alignment when lifting has the greatest effect on preventing lower back injuries and obtaining sciatic nerve pain relief.
A highly potent anti-inflammatory, devil’s claw is a highly prized home remedy for sciatic nerve pain relief.
What to do:
Note: This is not for patients with peptic ulcers or who are on blood-thinning medications.
How it works:
Devil’s claw contains harpagoside, which helps increase the amount of nitric oxide in the blood. Increased nitric oxide decreases inflammation and pain.
Eating halibut and other coldwater fish like herring, salmon and mackerel can bring sciatic nerve pain relief as well.
What to do:
How it works:
The omega-3 fatty acids found in cold water fish help to reduce inflammation. Additionally, cold water fish are high in magnesium, which reduces muscle spasms.
Sugary foods, especially those in soft drinks, syrups, candy and sweetened cereals tend to make inflammation worse.
What to do:
How it works:
Increased blood sugar levels increase inflammation. By reducing your sugar intake, you decrease inflammation.
We’re told that for overall health we need to stay away from saturated and trans-fats. This practice also helps with sciatic nerve pain relief.
What to do:
How it works:
Like sugar, saturated fats and trans-fats increase inflammation. By reducing your consumption of them, you’ll decrease the inflammation and pain from sciatica.
Garlic is one of the superfoods that tend to continue popping up in everyone’s list of home remedies. Garlic can also help with sciatic nerve pain relief.
What to do:
How it works:
1,2-DT (1,2-vinyldithiin) is a sulfide compound that has been reported to help reduce inflammation.
Ginger is another herbal superstar when it comes to sciatic nerve pain relief. It is noted for its anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties.
What to do:
How it works:
Ginger contains a substance known as gingerol, which is able able to reduce the formation of inflammatory compounds in your body.
Reducing and relieving inflammation is one of the main goals in achieving sciatic nerve pain relief.
What to do:
How it works:
Pineapples help reduce inflammation because of an easily absorbed enzyme known as bromelain.
Ginger’s first cousin, turmeric, is even more powerful at fighting inflammation without doing damage to your liver like pharmaceutical and over-the-counter pain relievers.
What to do:
How it works:
Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is an affective inflammation and pain reliever.
Using a blend of essential oils along with a light massage can also bring sciatic nerve pain relief.
What to do:
Create a mixture of the following oils:
How it works:
Each of these oils contain anti-inflammatory properties and can penetrate to the very root of the problem.
Though sciatic nerve pain relief for a severe injury might require a more aggressive approach, most of the causes and symptoms of sciatica can be relieved through home remedies, exercise and learning how to move and lift in ways to avoid it.
Images taken from depositphotos.com.
